Lot 26
Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. A wonderfully-preserved, free-blown translucent glass vessel of a squat form and pale aubergine color. The bulbous body has a concave base with a large pontil scar, a rounded shoulder, a narrow neck, and a collared rim which leads to a deep interior cavity. Extensive exterior areas of silvery and rainbow-hued iridescence complement the vessel's aubergine hue, especially around the body. Size: 3.75" W x 4" H (9.5 cm x 10.2 cm)
Ancient glass manufacture had begun in the 2nd millennium BCE in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Greeks and Phoenicians advanced glass technology greatly in the latter 1st millennium BCE. In the early 1st century CE, Roman workshops began producing blown glass on a large scale. Eventually glass vessels came to replace a wide variety of pottery and metal wares in the ancient world. Ancient Roman glass was traded far beyond the Roman Empire. Roman glass vessels have been found in Scandinavia, India, and in Han Dynasty tombs in China.
A similar example (and an additional vessel) hammered for $5,000 at Christie's, New York "Antiquities Including Property from The Collection of Max Pavelsky" Auction (sale 2364, December 9, 2010, part of lot 75 [left-most vessel]): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/two-roman-glass-vessels-circa-1st-4th-century-5385381-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5385381&sid=679c854e-78f4-43b5-8346-9770bf662644
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Stephen Shalom collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s
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#142890
- Condition: Intact. Surface wear and light abrasions commensurate with age as expected, and light roughness around rim and base. Light earthen deposits as well as lovely silvery and rainbow iridescence throughout. Vessel possesses a pontil scar or mark which indicates that the vessel was free-blown. (The absence of such a mark would suggest that the work was either mold-blown or that the mark was intentionally smoothed away or worn away over time.)
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |